Falling for Grace
by gwineviere
Summary: Fem!Percy/Male!Thalia When Persis (or as she prefers, "Persi") got the golden fleece- she thought it was over, that she finally got a break for a little while. Just to relax. And then Tyler Grace is suddenly puked up by a tree. Things were looking up...until he opened his mouth. Tyler is infuriating, arrogant, a pain in her ass. Stab-worthy. (Full summary inside, can't fit it all)
1. Chapter 1

**Story Title: Falling for Grace**

**Summary: When Persis (or as she prefers, "Persi,") got the golden fleece- she thought it was over, that she finally got a break for a little while. Just to relax. And then Tyler Grace is suddenly puked up by a tree. He was good looking, though, so it was okay.**

**Things were looking up...until he opened his mouth. Tyler is infuriating, arrogant, a pain in her ass. Stab-worthy. He was the annoying wart on the heel of her foot. **

**But when their best friend Annabeth is taken by a spike-throwing lunatic during a demigod rescue mission, Persi and Tyler are suddenly thrown together to save their best friend and the Goddess, Artemis. It doesn't help that the hunters are trying to recruit Persi- suddenly, Tyler seems to be closer than usual, and Persi doesn't know if that's a good or a bad thing.**

**Rated: PG-13 (I might accidentally swear a little so..)**

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><p><strong>Hey guys, how are ya? I was getting a lot of reviews on me copying Rick Riordan's work, and to be honest, I wasn't. It was just a base story before I got into actually writing it and editing. I figured it would be easier to make it my style and switch it up by starting with the names, since I will be leaving a few things in there, like the descriptions of people. <strong>

**Also, I'm going to need help on ideas for this story. For one- should Rachel be gender swapped to a guy named Riley? Or something else, I'm not good with names. (Recommendations?)**

**And for that sequel thing, I don't know what I was talking about. I've been a bit stressed and I guess I wanted to just stick to what I was doing before…? Yeah, I'm a weirdo.**

**Anyway, ONWARD!**

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><p>Chapter One- THE FLEECE WORKS ITS MAGIC TOO WELL<p>

A storm raged that night, but it parted around Camp Half-Blood as storms usually did.

Lightning flashed against the horizon, waves pounded the shore, but not a drop fell in our valley. We were protected again, thanks to the Fleece, sealed inside our magical borders.

But still, I felt uneasy. I couldn't relax. My dreams were restless- they were filled with unspoken riddles and fearful exchanges. I heard Kronos taunting me from the depths of Tartarus, I saw Tyson's face before I believed him to be dead. I heard a lullaby- my mother's voice singing to me when I was a baby. _"Sleep tight, Persi. Momma loves you," _I heard her say. I breathed in and her smell reached my nose. It gave me comfort.

Then my dream changed. I was following Tyson to the bottom of the sea, into the court of Poseidon. It was a radiant hall filled with blue light, the floor cobbled with pearls. And there, on a throne of coral, sat my father, dressed like a simple fisherman in khaki shorts and a sunbleached T-shirt. I looked up into his tan weathered face, his deep green eyes, and he spoke two words: _Brace yourself_.

I sprung up from my bed, breathing heavily. My heart beat fast as I realized where I was- I was in my bed at Camp half-blood. The ocean smell of my cabin calmed me down, lulled me like I was a baby. Just as I started to fall to the realm of Morpheus again, a harsh banging on my door broke the silence.

Grover flew inside without waiting for permission, his clothes ruffled. His eyes were wide, filled with panic- the look in them told me something was terribly wrong. "Persi!" he stammered. "Annabeth ... on the hill ... she ..."

I ripped off the covers. Annabeth had been on guard duty that night, protecting the Fleece. If something had happened—

My body felt like ice. At the thought of something happening to Annabeth, my face even erupted in goosebumps. I threw on a hoodie while Grover stuttered over his sentences. His feet kept moving anxiously. "She's lying there ... just lying there ..."

My fright grew- I couldn't think of a world without Annabeth. She was one of my best friends, despite being a daughter of Athena. I felt as if a shell had been forcefully shoved down my throat. Grover let out a noise that sounded like a whimper. I immediately felt worse- Grover had known Annabeth since she was seven, and I couldn't imagine what he would feel like if she got hurt.

"Hurry!" I told him. I practically flew towards the door.

I ran outside and raced across the central yard, Grover right behind me. Dawn was just breaking, but the whole camp seemed to be stirring. Word was spreading. Something huge had happened. A few campers were already making their way toward the hill, satyrs and nymphs and heroes in a weird mix of armor and pajamas. I didn't even care that I was under dressed- only in a tank top, a hoodie and some shorts. Annabeth could be hurt. I would not lose time when she could be dying at this minute.

I heard the clop of horse hooves, and Chiron galloped up behind us, looking grim. His horse tail swung behind him nervously.

"Is it true?" he asked Grover.

Grover could only nod, his expression dazed. An uneasy feeling crept to my stomach.

"Chiron, what's going on- whoa!" I let out a yell of surprise as Chiron grabbed me by the arm and effortlessly lifted me onto his back. He ran up Half-Blood Hill, where a small crowd had started to gather. I was trying really hard not to fall off his back, I held on to the back of his shirt tightly. My stomach flipped.

The first thing I noticed was the fleece- it wasn't missing from the pine tree. It was still there, glittering in the first light of dawn. The storm had broken, the sky was a sunset red.

But that didn't make any sense, if we had been attacked, who wouldn't have taken the fleece? My mind thought of Luke trying to take it from us again, and I clenched my fists. Would he really hurt Annabeth to grow more power?

"Curse the titan lord," Chiron said. "He's tricked us again, given himself another chance to control the prophecy." _Control the prophecy?_

I couldn't help but be angry at everyone for how vague they were being. "What do you mean?" I asked. I brushed away my long black hair, my heart beating fast. Where was Annabeth? Every time I saw someone with golden princess curls, they turned around and I realized it was only her sibling. My anxiety grew to the point where I was twitching.

"The Fleece," he said. "The Fleece did its work too well."

We galloped forward, everyone moving out of our way. There at the base of the tree, a body was lying unconscious. A person in Greek armor was kneeling next to them. Blood roared in my ears. I couldn't think straight. Annabeth had been attacked? But why was the Fleece still there?

The tree itself looked perfectly fine, whole and healthy, suffused with the essence of the Golden Fleece.

"It healed the tree," Chiron said, his voice ragged. "And poison was not the only thing it purged."

Then I realized Annabeth wasn't the one lying on the ground. She was the one in armor, kneeling next to the unconscious boy. When Annabeth saw us, she ran to Chiron. "It... he ... just suddenly there ..."

Her eyes were streaming with tears, but I still didn't understand. I was too freaked out to make sense of it all.

I wanted to hug Annabeth, and tell her how happy I was that she was still here. But then I noticed how nobody had gone near the unconscious boy. I leaped off Chiron's back and ran toward him. Chiron said: "Persi, wait!"

I knelt by his side. He had short black hair and freckles across his nose. He had a muscular build, but he looked more like a long distance runner more than anything. He was attractive, I almost stopped because of his features alone. His face was angular and sharp, but unhealthily pale. He wore clothes that were a mix of punk and goth—a black T-shirt, tattered jeans, and a leather jacket with a bunch of badges that symbolized a bunch of bands I had never heard of. Well, maybe except Green Day.

He wasn't a camper. I didn't recognize him from any of the cabins. And yet I had the strangest feeling I'd seen him before... It itched at the back of my mind. I could almost feel the answer on the tip of my tongue, but it just didn't come. I was too spooked to make sense of anything.

"It's true," Grover said, panting from his run up the hill. "I can't believe ..."

Nobody else came close to the boy.

I put my hand on his forehead. His skin was cold, but my fingertips tingled as if they were burning. An odd shiver ran up my spine. His skin was so soft, it felt so delicate. I decided that I liked the feel of his skin.

"He needs nectar and ambrosia," I said. He was clearly a half-blood, whether he was a camper or not. I could sense that just from one touch. I didn't understand why everyone was acting so scared. He needed help, couldn't they see that? My anger grew- why were they not helping him?

I took him by the shoulders and lifted him into sitting position, resting his head on my shoulder. His cheek brushed the side of my neck and I felt a rush of shivers flow up my spine. I stopped myself from shuddering.

"Come on!" I barked to the others. "What's wrong with you people? Let's get him to the Big House. Look at him, he needs help!"

No one moved, not even Chiron. They were all too stunned. They were frozen, as if they were sculptures of ice. They didn't even move their eyes.

Then the boy took a shaky breath. He coughed and opened his eyes. His irises were startlingly blue—electric blue. They filled me with warmth, my veins all of a sudden feeling fiery. Blood rushed to my cheeks, but I ignored it. He needed help.

The boy stared at me in bewilderment, shivering and wild-eyed. "Who—" His voice wasn't deep, it was normal. But that didn't mean it didn't have an affect on me- I shivered. His voice was smooth, flowing delicately through my ears. If I could choose one sound to listen to forever, I would choose his voice.

"I'm Persi," I said. "You're safe now."

"Strangest dream ..." His eyes burned into mine, and I pitied him for the confusion and sadness in them. He looked so vulnerable- so panicked. He started to move in my arms, thrashing slightly like he was in a nightmare. Quickly, I brushed my hand along his forehead and cheek, like my mom did to me when I was little. The action seemed to make him go rigid in my arms. His arms fell to his sides limply.

"It's okay." I whispered soothingly.

"Dying." His voice cracked, his eyes were so tortured.

"No," I assured him. "You're okay. What's your name?"

That's when I knew. Even before he said it.

The boy's blue eyes stared into mine, and I understood what the Golden Fleece quest had been about. The poison-ing of the tree. Everything. Kronos had done it to bring another chess piece into play—another chance to control the prophecy.

Even Chiron, Annabeth, and Grover, who should've been celebrating this moment, were too shocked, thinking about what it might mean for the future. And I was holding someone who was destined to be my best friend, or possibly my worst enemy.

"I am Tyler," the boy said. "Son of Zeus."

Suddenly, my father's words seemed to pound in my head.

_Brace yourself indeed._


	2. NOTE- Please read, important

Hey guys  
>So I've decided to write this story again- check the top of chapter one. It's all explained in there. Chapter one is also updated, so read it again if you wish. I will understand if you don't want to read this story again. But please, at least read my explanation for being a crappy writer. Thanks. :)<p> 


	3. Chapter 2

**Story Title: Falling for Grace**

**Summary: When Persis (or as she prefers, "Persi,") got the golden fleece- she thought it was over, that she finally got a break for a little while. Just to relax. And then Tyler Grace is suddenly puked up by a tree. He was good looking, though, so it was okay.**

**Things were looking up...until he opened his mouth. Tyler is infuriating, arrogant, a pain in her ass. Stab-worthy. He was the annoying wart on the heel of her foot.**

**But when their best friend Annabeth is taken by a spike-throwing lunatic during a demigod rescue mission, Persi and Tyler are suddenly thrown together to save their best friend and the Goddess, Artemis. It doesn't help that the hunters are trying to recruit Persi- suddenly, Tyler seems to be closer than usual, and Persi doesn't know if that's a good or a bad thing.**

**Rated: PG-13 (I might accidentally swear a little so..)**

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><p><strong><em>Comment Responses<em>**

**Spiritgirl16: Thanks so much. I appreciate you calling me a good writer but in reality... the base story sucked. But that's okay I guess, it was only a base after all. Thank you for having a lot of faith in me, though. As for the changes in the book, I'm not too sure what I'm going to be doing to be honest. Male!Rachel sounded good, but I was thinking of changing something in the book. Like maybe Persis or Tyler is a descendant of another god or goddess? Don't worry, I won't make them powerful to the point where it's unrealistic or something. I've had my fair share of those stories. Recommendations would be great, though. They fuel my fire. I like to twist the recommendations a little bit.. ;)**

**Lmb111524: Thanks! :D I'll try post when I can, but I have so much homework all the time. Exams and school camp are coming up though, so I might be away for a little while. **

**BluemoonAR: I can't wait either! I really want to finish it all in one go and all that but good writing takes time. I'm not saying my writing is good though- yeah, no. I love how you noticed how it showed more of Persi's perspective. It was what I was going for. :D**

**Midnightdreames3: Thank you, so am I. I hope you don't mind how I'm changing everything. **

**Catarina Persephone: I hope I'll be able to finish it again too. To be honest, I'm really surprised people liked the first version. Thank you for the support, you have no idea how much it means to me! :)**

**Scaevus: Thanks so much! I'm glad you like the first chapter, and I'm happy I'm back. :)**

**ObeliskX****:**** I appreciate the support, I'll ****definitely ****try to post more chapters. :D**

**Kaylee13133: Thank you for the support, I needed it. I'm glad you noticed how I put more detail in it. As Percy is a girl in this fic, I feel the need to make it more detailed because most girls are emotional more than oblivious, (Well, I am, but I understand some aren't.)**

**HoodIcecream: Thanks, I'm pretty excited too, it's just that It's hard when you don't have a lot of time on your hands.. Hope you like this next chapter. **

**Remember guys, reviews make me more inspired! I get really excited and I have an urge to write to please you all more, so please review!**

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>**- MY RESCUE OPERATION GOES VERY WRONG**

The Friday before winter break, my mom packed me an overnight bag and a few deadly weapons and took me to a new boarding school. We picked up my friends Annabeth and Tyler on the way. Well- I wouldn't go as far to say Tyler was my friend. Sure, our first meeting had a big impact on us, but that doesn't mean it was positive. The vulnerable light I had seen in Tyler's eyes were gone faster than Grover would sign up for a enchilada convention. He was unbelievably arrogant and impossibly vain. Annabeth didn't seem to see it like that, though. She adored him like a sister would to her older brother.

Annabeth had grown taller than me since last summer. She used to wear no jewelry except for her Camp Half-Blood bead necklace, but now she wore little silver earrings shaped like owls—the symbol of her mother, Athena. She pulled off her ski cap, and her long blond hair tumbled down her shoulders. It made her look older, for some reason.

Tyler looks sorta different too. He got a haircut- the one that most boys have nowadays. I teased him by saying he looked like Justin Bieber instead of complimenting him, so maybe that's why he didn't speak to me as much.

Speaking of Tyler, the whole eight-hour drive from New York to Bar Harbor, Maine, he was practically swimming in a pool of deep, rich blackmail. My mom had sprouted nearly every embarrassing baby story about me to Annabeth and Tyler, ignoring nearly every attempt I gave to shut her up. Mom talked a lot when she was nervous- she was most definitely worried about me going on this rescue mission. I could see by the look on his face he was enjoying this- but there was also a content look in his eyes, as if he was actually interested in hearing about me. I shook it off.

We hadn't seen each other in months. Annabeth and Tyler had gone to a boarding school in Boston while I was stuck in New York since I wanted to live with mom. After what had happened during my first camp half-blood trip, it didn't seem right to just go off to another boarding school without her. The thought made me feel selfish, after all that we had been through, I wasn't just going to leave her.

By the time we had gotten to Westover Hall, it was getting dark. Snow covered the ground, I could feel the cold through my hooded jean jacket.

Tyler wiped the fog off the car window and peered outside. His face was lit in a arrogant grin. "Oh, yeah. This'll be fun." I rolled my eyes.

Westover Hall looked like an evil knight's castle. It was all black stone, with towers and slit windows and a big set of wooden double doors. It stood on a snowy cliff overlooking this big frosty forest on one side and the gray churning ocean on the other. The sight made me restrain a shiver which fought to travel up my spine.

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait?" My mother asked. Her eyes were filled with worry, I could see a part of her didn't want me to go.

"It'll be fine, Mom. Thanks though." I replied, giving her a reassuring smile. "I don't know how long it will take. We'll be okay."

"But how will you get back? I'm worried, Persi." Her eyebrows were furrowed, she looked like me when she did that. "You're my baby girl. I don't want you hurt."

It was bad enough I had to depend on my mom to drive me to my battles, but the fact that she had just called me her 'baby girl' in front of Tyler and Annabeth made me let out an embarrassed blush. I heard Tyler let out a snicker- mom didn't notice though. I sent him my best glare, feeling my warm cheeks have an icy battle with the cold air.

"It's okay, Ms. Jackson." Annabeth smiled reassuringly. Her blond hair was tucked into a ski cap and her gray eyes were the same color as the ocean. "We'll keep her out of trouble. Isn't that right, Persi?" Her elbow jabbed me hard in the ribs. I smiled uncomfortably.

"Oh, yeah, totally." I didn't know if I was convincing enough, but my mom relaxed. She thinks Annabeth is the most levelheaded demigod ever to hit eighth grade. She's sure Annabeth often keeps me from getting killed. She's right, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

"All right, dears," My mom said, letting out a smile of relief. She knew I was in good hands. "Do you have everything you need?"

"Yes, Ms. Jackson," Tyler said. He shot my mom one of his charming grins -the ones that made my head spin- and rested his hand on the handle of the car door. "Thanks for the ride."

"Extra sweaters? You have my cell phone number?"

"Wait, Mom—"

"Your ambrosia and nectar, Persi? And a golden drachma in case you need to contact camp?"

"Literally, Mom! We'll be fine, I promise. Come on guys, lets go." I stopped her from speaking more, she was embarrassing me in front of my friends. I had thought the baby stories were bad- this was somehow worse. "Thanks mom, for the ride. Love you." I added.

She looked a little hurt, and I was sorry about that, but I was ready to be out of that car. If my mom told one more story about how cute I looked in the bathtub when I was three years old, I was going to burrow into the snow and freeze myself to death. Niether of those sounded good, but I would always choose the latter over a baby story.

Annabeth and Tyler followed me outside. Tyler looked back at my car with a hint of longing as it drove away, which made me a little confused. I shook it off, he probably just wanted more blackmail stories so he can make the rest of my days filled with embarrassment.

Once my mother's car was out of sight, Tyler looked straight into my eyes with his piercing blue ones. "I'm loving the dress, Persi." His eyes trailed over the green dress under my jean jacket. Mom only agreed to wear a dress if I wear leggings and my hooded jean-jacket as well. I thought, if we're going to a school dance, we might as well act like it. Annabeth obviously thought the same as me, because she was wearing a long-sleeved dress with a jacket over top. It was a funny match with her ski cap, but it suited her okay.

"Then why don't you wear it?" I suggested. As soon as I said it, I wished I hadn't. That only seemed to make Tyler smirk more. He obviously took the retort the wrong way- I'm not actually that surprised, he did have a dirty mind after all. His gaze on me was intense, I wanted to look away, but couldn't. It was magnetic.

"Did you just make a dirty joke, Pers-" I knew exactly what he was trying to say, so I sent him a glare. But before Tyler could even finish the sentence, Annabeth cut him off.

"We'd better get inside," Annabeth interrupted. "Grover will be waiting." I sent her a thankful look and she nodded at me, a smile pulling at her lips. Annabeth and I always made a great team- we always stuck up for each other.

Tyler looked from me to the castle and grinned. The fact that he was excited about this made me uneasy- he almost looked like an Ares kid in a battle arena. Tyler cracked his knuckles. "You're right. I wonder what he found here that made him send the distress call."

I stared up at the dark towers of Westover Hall. "Nothing good," I guessed. _Way to state the obvious_, I thought to myself.

The oak doors groaned open, and the three of us stepped into the entry hall in a swirl of snow.

All I could say was, "Oh."

The place was huge. The walls were lined with battle flags and weapon displays: antique rifles, battle axes, and a bunch of other stuff. I mean, I knew Westover was a military school and all, but the decorations seemed like overkill. Literally.

Suddenly, I was thankful for my overrated dump of a high school- we were wild, not discipline. And I'm a demigod. It's not exactly easy to follow orders when you have an urge to fight with something or someone. One time I nearly threw a basketball at the P.E teacher's face because she was taunting me about how I threw like a toddler.

As a ice cold breeze pushed against my back, I started feeling jittery. My hand went to my jacket pocket, where I kept my lethal ballpoint pen, Riptide. I could already sense something wrong in this place. Something _dangerous_. Annabeth had her hand in her shoulder bag, where her dagger rested. Tyler was rubbing his silver wrist band, his favorite magic item. I knew we were thinking the same thing. A fight was coming.

Annabeth started to say, "I wonder where—"

The doors slammed shut behind us, the sound echoing through the dark corridor.

My heart leaped in my chest, and I jumped about a foot in the air. "Oo-kay," I mumbled. "That wasn't creepy. Nope." I caught Tyler's eyes for a second before looking away, a shiver rolling up my spine and my breath knocked out of me. I convinced myself that it was the creepy atmosphere, but somehow, that didn't make me feel better.

I could hear music echoing from the other end of the hall. From the upbeat tune I could tell it was something hip hop. To be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of the music nowadays. I was into more classical songs. Every time I turned on the radio, I would listen to a new song and I would never be able to actually hear an instrument in it. I guess that's what frustrates me.

We stashed our overnight bags behind a pillar and started down the hall. We hadn't gone very far when I heard footsteps on the stone floor, and a man and woman marched out of the shadows to intercept us. They were tall and they stood straight, as if they had broomsticks taped to their spines. The woman had short gray hair, woven like spider's silk, while the man had bushy hair with a couple of gray strands and their bodies were heavily coated with black military-style uniforms with red trim. The woman had a wispy mustache, and the guy was clean-shaven, which seemed kind of backward to me. I tried not to laugh but ended up making a weird choking sound in the back of my throat. Tyler shot me a look that said, _'shut up'_.

"Well?" the woman demanded, and I was trying really hard not to stare at her mustache. "What are you doing here?" Her voice was scratchy and hoarse, like she hadn't spoken in a while. I had the feeling that wasn't the case.

"Um…" I realized I hadn't planned for this. I'd been so focused on getting to Grover and finding out what was wrong, I hadn't considered that someone might question three kids sneaking into the school at night. We hadn't talked at all in the car about how we would get inside. My stomach twisted as they looked at me expectantly. I suddenly shrunk under their pressure- not something I usually did, but their uniforms and haughty tones intimidated me. "We were just—"

"Ha!" the man snapped, which made me jump. My hand reached out and gripped someone's by instinct. I heard someone take a sharp intake of breath in surprise and tighten their hand around mine. I looked to see who it was, and to my surprise, it was Tyler. He looked at me, giving me a blank look, but the way his lips twitched, he wanted to say something reassuring. Something about his expression made me relax, and I noticed his eyes look soft- all for me. I looked away from him, the man started to speak again. "Visitors are not allowed at the dance! You shall be eee-jected!"

He had an accent—French, maybe. He pronounced his J like in Jacques, He was tall, with a hawkish face. His nostrils flared when he spoke, which made it really hard not to stare up his nose, and his eyes were two different colors—one brown, one blue—like an alley cat's. The sight of him was somehow un-natural, it sent warning bells going off in my head.

I figured he was about to toss us into the snow, but then Tyler stepped forward, letting my hand go gently, and did something very weird.

He snapped his fingers. Usually I would be alright with it but the fact he just snapped his fingers in the woman's face weirded me out. I was even more surprised when I noticed the nearly invisible gust of wind, the banners on the walls rustling. I don't know what came over me, but for a second my vision went into a hazy land of green, and I blinked. As soon as it came it was gone.

"Oh, but we're not visitors, sir," Tyler said charmingly, his expression was the definition of _'teacher's pet'_. "We go to school here. You remember: I'm Tyler. And this is Annabeth and Persi. We're in the eighth grade."

The male teacher narrowed his two-colored eyes. I didn't know what Tyler was thinking. Now we'd probably get punished for lying and thrown head-first into the snow. But the man seemed to be hesitating, the look in his eyes were making my own narrow. He looked weary- almost angry. Nearly frustrated.

He looked at his colleague. "Ms. Gottschalk, do you know these students?"

Despite the danger we were in, I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. A teacher named Got Chalk? He had to be kidding. I felt my throat close up as I tried desperately to not let out a series of laughs. Beside me, Tyler's body shook a little. Even Annabeth found it amusing. I almost felt like giving Grover a medal- he had put up with this for a whole semester.

The woman blinked, like someone had just woken her up from a trance. "I… yes. I believe I do, sir." She frowned at us. "Annabeth. Tyler. Persi. What are you doing away from the gymnasium?"

"Oh," I blinked in surprise. How did Tyler do that? "I needed to go to the bathroom, so did Annabeth. Tyler just needed some fresh air, he was feeling dizzy." I explained. From beside me, Annabeth looked at me owlishly, while Tyler looked a little bit impressed. The fact that I was tongue-tied not even a minute ago had to be giving people whiplash. Ms. Gottschalk's name seemed to take away the intimidating features and put me at some sort of ease.

Before they could answer, I heard more footsteps, and Grover ran up, breathless. He looked excited to see us, but there was a fear in his eyes, as if he were afraid of something. "Persi, Annabeth, Tyler! You made it! You—"

He stopped short when he saw the teachers. "Oh, Mrs. Gottschalk. Dr. Thorn! I, uh—"

"What is it, Mr. Underwood?" said the man. His tone made it clear that he didn't like Grover that much. I felt warning bells go off again; usually it was monsters that detest Satyrs. "What do you mean, they made it? These students live here."

Grover swallowed. "Yes, sir. Of course, Dr. Thorn. I just meant, I'm so glad they made… the punch for the dance! The punch is great. And they made it!" I mentally face-palmed.

Grover, really? _Really_? Everyone knows that students don't make the punch.

Dr. Thorn glared at us. I decided one of his eyes had to be fake. The brown one? The blue one? He looked like he wanted to pitch us off the castle's highest tower, but then Mrs. Gottschalk said dreamily, "Yes, the punch is excellent. Now run along, all of you. You are not to leave the gymnasium again!"

We didn't wait to be told twice. We left with a lot of "Yes, ma'ams" and "Yes, sirs" and a couple of salutes, just because it seemed like the thing to do.

Grover hustled us down the hall in the direction of the music.

I could feel the teachers' eyes on my back, but I walked closely to Tyler, grabbing onto his arm to stop him. The touch of his skin lit up my senses. Shocks filled my body like I was just zapped by thunder. "How did you do that finger-snap thing?" I whispered lowly.

He turned to look at me, a smirk on his lips. "The Mist?" His eyebrows quirked, and he looked smug. "Well, look at _this_. Chiron hasn't even taught his star student about it yet." Chiron was our head trainer at camp, but he'd never shown me anything like that. Why had he shown Tyler and not me?

And just like that, Tyler was back to his normal, stab-worthy self. I huffed, feeling my cheeks becoming red. This boy's mood changed faster than lightening, I wouldn't be surprised if he was bipolar. Well, I'm not really that surprised he is somewhat messed up. I mean- the guy had been a tree for years. He seemed to know what I was thinking, because he sent a sharp look towards me and looked away. For a second, I wondered where that vulnerable boy had gone. Was he there, under all those layers of arrogant? Was the Tyler I knew just a facade? My mind flashed to when I held his hand in the hallway. An uncomfortable lump formed in my throat.

He turned back around and kept walking. Reluctantly, I followed. Grover hurried us to a door that had GYM written on the glass. Even with my dyslexia, I could read that much.

"That was close!" Grover said. He looked relieved. "Thank the gods you got here!"

Annabeth and I both hugged Grover. Tyler gave him a big high five.

It was good to see him after so many months. He'd gotten a little taller and had sprouted a few more whiskers, but otherwise he looked like he always did when he passed for human—a red cap on his curly brown hair to hide his goat horns, baggy jeans and sneakers with fake feet to hide his furry legs and hooves. He was wearing a black T-shirt that took me a few seconds to read. It said WESTOVER HALL: GRUNT. I wasn't sure whether that was, like, Grover's rank or maybe just the school motto.

"I don't even know how you didn't throw yourself off the highest tower yet. This place looks so.. discipline." I said. "Anyway, what's the emergency? Did you find some?

Grover took a deep breath. "I found two."

"Two half-bloods?" Tyler raised his eyebrows. He looked around judgmentally. "_Here?_"

Grover nodded.

Finding one half-blood was rare enough, especially in the same school. Usually you were lucky if you found two in the same state. This year, Chiron had put the satyrs on emergency overtime and sent them all over the country, scouring schools from fourth grade through high school for possible recruits. We needed as many as we could get with the rising of Kronos, thanks to Luke. These were desperate times. We were losing campers. The problem was, there just weren't that many demigods out there.

"A brother and a sister," he said, looking a little worried. "They're ten and twelve. I don't know their parentage, but they're strong. We're running out of time, though. I need help."

I blinked in surprise- usually the only demigod siblings you would find together would be twins since the gods weren't allowed back after having one child. Whoever their mom or dad was, they had to have broken the ancient laws, which wasn't good. Unfortunately, the parent isn't the one who pays the price, the children do. Then a thought came to me, one that chilled me to the bone; What if they were the children of one of the big three?

"Monsters?"

"One." Grover looked uneasy, and he did this thing he always does when he's nervous- he starts to pick at his sleeves impatiently. "He suspects. I don't think he's positive yet, but this is the last day of term. I'm sure he won't let them leave campus without finding out. It may be our last chance! Every time I try to get close to them, he's always there, blocking me. I don't know what to do!"

Grover looked at Tyler desperately. I tried not to feel upset by that, but I still felt my insides go a little cold. Grover used to look at me for answers, as I was good at observing and notice things quicker than the others do. The fact that Grover was now looking at Tyler for answers obviously made his ego spike, because I saw a smug look in his electric eyes. But for me, it felt like someone had made a dagger out of ice, dipped it in poison, then stabbed me.

"So," he said. "These half-bloods are at the dance?"

Grover nodded his head like a love struck admirer.

"Then let's dance," Tyler smirked, eyebrows furrowing as he got another idea. "Wait, who's the monster?"

"Oh," Grover said, and looked around nervously. "You just met him. The vice principal, Dr. Thorn."

_Are you freaking kidding me right now?_

Weird thing about military schools: the kids go absolutely nuts when there's a special event and they get to be out of uniform. I guess it's because everything's so strict the rest of the time, they feel like they've got to overcompensate or something.

There were black and red balloons all over the gym floor, and guys were kicking them in each others faces, or trying to strangle each other with the crepe-paper streamers taped to the walls. Girl's moved in around in groups, like those cliques you see in movies. They all wore too much makeup, patterned pants, tight tops and heels- which was weird, considering most of them looked eleven or twelve. Every once in a while they'd surround some poor guy like a pack of piranhas, shrieking and giggling, and when they finally moved on, the guy would have ribbons in his hair and a bunch of lipstick graffiti all over his face. Some of the older guys looked uncomfortable, hanging out at the edges of the gym and trying to hide, like any minute they might have to fight for their lives. I was suddenly glad I was the outcast at my school, because that whole situation looked plain out nasty.

"There they are." Grover nodded toward a couple of younger kids arguing in the bleachers. "Bianca and Nico di Angelo."

The girl, who I assumed to be Bianca, covered her face with her dark hair and floppy green hat as if she was trying to hide. There was a shorter boy, Nico, standing next to her, shuffling some trading cards. You could tell they were related, with the same olive skin and raven black hair, they looked like they had some sort of Italian genes in them- like their eyebrows. They two of them used their hands a lot as they spoke, and Bianca seemed to be pointing her finger towards Nico as if scolding him for being bad. Bianca seemed on edge about something, she kept edging to the door. Her brother looked fine, unaffected by what was worrying his sister.

Annabeth said, "Do they… I mean, have you told them?"

Grover shook his head sadly. "You know how it is. That could put them in more danger. Once they realize who they are, their scent becomes stronger."

This time, Grover looked to me, and not Tyler. I felt triumph and gave a firm nod. I'd never really understood what half-bloods "smell" like to monsters and satyrs, I just assumed every demigod smelled like their parent's domain or something- like in my case, the sea. But I also knew that your scent could get you killed. And the more powerful a demigod you became, the more you smelled like a monster's lunch.

"What are we waiting for? Let's grab them and get out of here," I ordered, determined.

I started forward, but Tyler put his hand on my shoulder, his touch like electricity over my skin. The vice principal, Dr. Thorn, had slipped out of a doorway near the bleachers and was standing near the di Angelo siblings. He nodded coldly in our direction, and I noticed his eyes linger on my shoulder, where Tyler's hand was, and he smirked- as if he knew something we didn't. His blue eye seemed to glow.

Judging from his expression, Thorn knew exactly who we were. He also seemed set on Tyler and I for some reason, I noticed his multi colored eyes stray over to us every few seconds. I wish I knew what he wanted. He hadn't even been fooled by Tyler's trick with the mist at all, he just wasn't sure if Nico and Bianca actually are the demigods yet.

"Don't look at the kids," Tyler instructed, quickly pushing in front of me, blocking my vision of Thorn. "We have to wait for a chance to get them. We need to pretend we're not interested in them. Throw him off the scent so we can grab them and go."

"How?"

"We're three powerful half-bloods. Our presence should confuse him. Mingle. Act natural. Do some dancing. But keep an eye on those kids."

"Dancing?" Annabeth asked.

Tyler nodded. He cocked her ear to the music and made a face. "Ugh. Who chose the Jesse McCartney?" He groaned in disgust. I couldn't help but nod in agreement. I was never a fan of this type of music.

Grover's eyebrows drew together and his expression turned into a hurt one. "I did."

"Oh my gods, Grover. That is so lame. Can't you play Green Day or something?"

"Green who?"

"Never mind that," Annabeth cut in, rolling her eyes. "Grover, let's dance." She sent a humorous look my way, and I couldn't help but narrow my eyes at her. What was she up to?

"But I can't dance!" He denied, backing away. His eyes caught Tyler's and he mouthed _'Help me!'_. Tyler shook his head with a grin that made my heart lift.

"I'll teach you then," She said, determined. She grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the dance floor. "By the time this daughter of Athena is done with you, you'll be dancing like a superstar."

Grover yelped and tried bolting away, but Annabeth's grip put him to shame. He muttered a few words of self pity under his breath before allowing himself to be dragged to the dance floor. I couldn't help the large smile on my face at the exchange.

Beside me, Tyler was silent. I turned to look at him, only to find his stare solely on my face, his eyes filled with a dark light. I don't know what was so captivating about his eyes, but they struck me breathless just by looking at me. His gaze pierced my soul. "Persi," He said. My breath, for some reason, caught in my throat. "dance with me." My heart stopped.

"I- Huh?" I said.

He rolled his eyes and grabbed my hand, dragging me to the dance floor. His hand was warm against mine, and slowly, he reached up and rested my hands on his shoulders and placed his on my hips. I couldn't breathe, the air was stuck in my throat and I felt so warm with his hands on me. His thumb stroked my waist as we swayed to the music, his touch sending shocks through my body.

Normally I would push him away and he would make a sexist remark or something like that, but my gut told me that this was different. I don't know why, but I felt like Tyler actually did like me, maybe. And maybe, I might like him back.

This moment was so intense that my knees almost buckled and I nearly fell into Tyler. Every moment with Tyler is intense.

I kept my gaze away from his eyes and focused on my feet. Tyler didn't seem to like that, in the corner of my eye I saw him clench his jaw. "Persi." He said lowly.

Heat creeped to my cheeks at the way he said my name, as if it were the best two syllables ever invented.

I slowly glanced up to meet his eyes. I wished his eyes weren't so gorgeous, maybe I wouldn't be pathetic as I am right now. "Yeah, Tyler?"

He kept staring at me in silence, his hand tightening at my waist. I cleared my throat, glancing away.

"So..." I trailed off. I couldn't really think of anything to talk about.

"You're not going to leave us, are you Persi?"

The question came out of nowhere. It was so sudden that I jerked back. At the reaction, Tyler's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about, Tyler? Of course I'm not leaving you guys. Where would I go, anyways?"

We were left in silence for a few minutes. Tyler looked like he was thinking hard. The silence between us was killing me, so I blurted out the first thing I thought about.

"So, d-did you end up contacting your mom, like you said?" As soon as I said it, I wished I hadn't. The air around us grew tense and I clamped my mouth shut. Tyler didn't respond, he just clamped his eyes shut and breathed deeply through his nose.

"I'm sorry." I say. "I didn't mean to..." I trailed off, closing my mouth. I didn't want to make it worse than it already was.

He didn't respond after a while. "Just forget it." He said shortly.

"Ty-" He cut me off with a harsh glare, his jaw twitching in anger. I felt my eyes sting just a little bit, but I knew it was my fault for bringing it up. I just couldn't help but wonder- where was that boy that I met, the one that looked at me with so much raw emotion that my heart melted?

_Tyler, what happened to you?_

Suddenly he froze. His hands fell from my hips and he looked around with panic. "They're gone."

"What?" My hands dropped from his shoulders and formed anxious fists at my sides.

I looked to the bleachers. The two half-blood kids, Bianca and Nico, were no longer there. The door next to the bleachers was wide open. Dr. Thorn was nowhere in sight. I felt my heart drop into my stomach - Thorn had taken them.

I looked back to Tyler, about to ask what we should do, but he was nowhere to be seen. I felt my heart drop even more. He just left me here? He didn't even bother to take me with him, or tell me where to meet up? What a jerk.

I turned a full circle, looking for him or Annabeth and Grover, but I couldn't catch a glimpse of them in the crowd at all. My heart started beating madly. Then, I saw something that chilled my blood and made my heart thrum.

About fifty feet away, lying on the gym floor, was a floppy green cap just like the one Bianca di Angelo had been wearing. Near it were a few scattered trading cards. Then I caught a glimpse of Dr. Thorn. He was hurrying out a door at the opposite end of the gym, steering the di Angelo kids by the scruffs of their necks, like kittens.

I still couldn't even catch a glimpse of Tyler, but my gut told me he'd be heading the other way, looking for Annabeth and Grover. I was about to go in the direction I knew he went in, but then I remembered something.

I thought about what Tyler had said to me in the entry hall, looking at me all smug when I asked about the finger-snap trick: **Well, look at _this_. Chiron hasn't even taught his star student about it yet.** I thought about the way Grover had turned to _him_, expecting _him_ to save the day.

Not that I resented Tyler. Sure, I resented his sexist comments and pickup lines, but he wasn't a bad person. It wasn't his fault his dad was Zeus and he got all the attention… Still, I didn't need to run after him to solve every problem. The way he always saved the day made me feel like one of those weak damsel in distresses. I was not weak. Besides, there wasn't time. The Di Angelo's were in danger. They might be long gone by the time I found my friends. I knew monsters. I could handle this myself.

I took Riptide out of my jean-jacket pocket and ran after Dr. Thorn, dress swaying between my legs.

The door led into a dark hallway. I heard sounds of scuffling up ahead, then a painful grunt. I uncapped Riptide, feeling uneasy.

The pen grew in my hands until I held a bronze Greek sword about three feet long with a leather-bound grip. The blade glowed faintly, casting a golden light on the rows of lockers. It gave me the slightest bit of comfort, knowing I wasn't defenseless. I liked to think I wasn't alone when I had riptide, because I could feel the sea when holding the sword.

_What belongs to the sea, will always return to the sea_, father had told me. I liked to believe that it included riptide.

I sprinted down the corridor, but when I got to the other end, no one was there. I opened a door and found myself back in the main entry hall. I was completely turned around. I didn't see Dr. Thorn anywhere, but there on the opposite side of the room were the di Angelo kids. They stood frozen in horror, staring right at me. My skin prickled, and I started to feel uneasy.

I advanced cautiously, lowering the tip of my sword. "Are you okay? I'm not going to hurt you. I promise." I said in reassurance.

They didn't answer. Their eyes were full of fear. What was wrong with them? Where was Dr. Thorn? Maybe he'd sensed the presence of Riptide and retreated. Monsters hated celestial bronze weapons. Even with that thought, my senses screamed at me, telling me I was in danger. I needed to get them somewhere safe.

"I'm Persi," I said, trying not to scare them. "I'm going to take you out of here, get you somewhere safe."

Bianca's eyes were huge, and wow, I want her eye color. Her fists clenched and for a second I thought she was angry with me, or scared. But then I realized what her look meant. She wasn't afraid of me, she was trying to warn me.

I whirled around and something went **_WHIISH!_** Pain flared in my shoulder, all the way down my arm. A force like a huge hand yanked me backward and slammed me to the wall.

I slashed with my sword but there was nothing to hit, the figure was too fast. It dodges and laughs at me, mocking me. It echoed down the hall and I felt my anger grow. My movements began to feel sloppy as I felt something take me over. I tried to free my shoulder. My jean-jacket and strap of my dress were pinned to the wall by some kind of spike—a black dagger-like projectile about a foot long. It had grazed the skin of my shoulder as it passed through my clothes, and the cut burned. I'd felt something like this before. Poison.

"Yes, Persis Jackson." Dr. Thorn said. His accent mangled the J in my last name. "I know who you are!"

I forced myself to concentrate. I would not pass out. I had to save the Di Angelo's, I had to get back to my friends, and Tyler. But I felt black dots of the edge of my vision. I closed my eyes for a second.

_Father, lend me strength._

As if he heard me, I felt my willingness to stay awake grow.

A dark silhouette now moved toward us. Dr. Thorn stepped into the dim light. He still looked human, but his face was ghoulish. He had perfect white teeth and his brown/blue eyes reflected the light of my sword.

"Thank you for coming out of the gym," he said. "I hate middle school dances."

_Me too,_ I wanted to say.

I tried to swing my sword again, but the swing missed him by a centimeter. Almost.

**_WHIIIISH!_** A second projectile shot from somewhere behind Dr. Thorn. He didn't appear to move. It was as if someone invisible were standing behind him, throwing knives.

Next to me, Bianca yelped. The second thorn impaled itself in the stone wall, half an inch from her face.

"All three of you will come with me," Dr. Thorn said. "Quietly. Obediently. If you make a single noise, if you call out for help or try to fight, I will show you just how accurately I can throw."


End file.
